Who Interviews Residency Applicants? A National Study of Pediatric Programs' Practices

Interviews play a critical role in assessing applicants for residency. Historically, these interviews have been conducted primarily by faculty; however, in recent years, more programs have begun using nonfaculty interviewers. We aimed to characterize the identity, prevalence, motivations behind, and perceived benefits and challenges of utilizing nonfaculty interviewers during pediatric residency recruitment.

We developed and distributed a survey to program leaders of all US categorical pediatric residencies from September to December 2022 to inquire about their interview methods. We analyzed the data using descriptive statistics and inductive content analysis for free-text responses.

The response rate was 65% (125/193 programs). Overall, 71% of programs used nonfaculty interviewers, with the most common groups being chief residents (if not considered clinical faculty) (58%), residents (31%), and fellows (14%). Perceived benefits of nonfaculty interviewers included providing diverse perspectives in evaluating applicants and increasing the number of interviewers. Noted challenges were scheduling difficulties, assuring adequate training and preparation, and the uncertainty of applicant perceptions of interviewing with nonfaculty members. Many programs felt that each nonfaculty interviewer group positively or very positively impacted residency interviews (71%, 87/123).

Many programs utilize nonfaculty interviewers during pediatric residency recruitment. Respondents described several perceived benefits and challenges related to these interviewers and overall felt their inclusion positively impacted recruitment. These study findings can serve as a resource for program leaders seeking to evaluate and evolve their current interview practices.